Knock-down island display stand



Jan. 25, 1938. H. P. HUGHES KNOCK-DOWN ISLAND DISPLAY STAND Filed April 16, 1955 INVENTO Patented Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNOCK-DOWN ISLAND DISPLAY STAND Application April 16, 1935, Serial No. 16,580

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improvement in merchandise display stands, commonly known as island display stands, these being customarily made of heavy paper board, fibre board or, preferably, corrugated board and of polygonal or rectangular cross section.

Such stands are usually utilized to display packaged goods of various kinds in grocery and other stores, are usually set up in the aisles of such stores and act as silent salesmen and aid in self-service, by the purchaser of such goods.

The present improvement embodies the foregoing features of advantage and in addition has added novel features in that the main body of the stand is made of one piece of board, is collapsible to permit the device to be packed flat and shipped in bundles, and is easily erected into merchandise receiving and display position. Another feature of the present improvement is in the display stand whereby such corners, at desired points may be cut and inverted, to form receptacle niches to support separate articles of packaged goods in attractive display arrangement, or the receptacle niches may be so arranged, as an invert corner, to house and stabilize piled packaged goods as will hereinafter appear in detail.

The foregoing and other features of advantage will appear as the herein description proceeds and it is obvious that modifications may be made in the structures herein disclosed, without departing from the spirit hereof or the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front View in elevation of the stand of Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1; Figs. 4 4 and 5 are side and end views, respectively, of the stand of Figs. 1 and 3 collapsed, or knocked down, in the flat for shipment in bundles; Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on the line 66, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a triangular tilt display filler support; Fig. 8 is a view in elevation, disclosing a modified form of island display stand; Fig. 9 is a plan View of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a partially fragmented view in elevation of Fig. 8, showing two forms of package display; Figs. 11 and 12 are side and end views, respectively, of the stand of Figs. 8 and 10 when in fiat shipping condition; Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view taken on line l3|3, Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 14 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of the provision of means, adjacent the corners of niche; Fig. 15 is a fragmentary section view taken on the line I5--l5, Fig. 16, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 13 of the modification.

As in all figures, the display stand herein is preferably of angular construction, and may be of rectangular form, as in Figs. 1 to 5, or may be of polygonal construction as in Figs. 9 to 12.

In Figs. 1 to 5, the stand is made up in a single piece with four side panels I, 2, 3, and 4, scored from each other to form corners, when erected, the two adjacent end panels 2 and 3 being afiixed to each other by a gummed textile tape l1 applied at the meeting edges of said panels.

As in Figs. 1 and 2 the four corners of the stand are partially inverted, as at 13, I4, l5, and 16, Fig. 2, so that they lie within the interior of the stand. The inversion of said corners may be, as shown in Fig. 1, only part way up the height of the stand, thus terminating at or near the upper portion of the stand, leaving said upper portion fully rectangular, while the lower interior of the stand is thus formed into a cruciform contour, leaving eight corners at the lower exterior of the stand, these corners being formed by the inversion of sub-panels c, d, e, and f, Fig. 2.

The inversion of the sub-panels is accomplished, as indicated in Fig. 4, wherein there is shown the taped corner and its tape ll, the stand in this figure being shown collapsed flat, 30 and. it will be noted that a horizontal cut l8 traverses the taped corner, and the cut is then, at opposite ends extended downwardly at slight angles as at 202I, where the said latter cuts, which are clear through the panels, terminate in the end of vertical pairs of score lines 22 and 23, one score line of each associated pair of score lines being located on the adjacent connected panels. These score lines may extend to the bottom of the stand, as indicated in Figs. 1, 3, and 4.

When the stand of Figs. 1, 3, and 4 is erected from the fiat of Figs. 4 and 5, the sub-panels c, d, e, and f are pushed inwardly on the score lines 22 and 23, as the upper portion of the stand is formed by the bending thereof on its four corners.

As thus described, and as fully shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the inverted sub-panels c, d, e, and 1 form four inverted columns, of stand-stiffening nature, and also form an inset, or niche, one on each corner, for the reception therein of packaged merchandise which may be easily piled, one atop of the other, but which when so piled, alone, are unstable and easily knocked over when unsupported. In the present instance when the canned or similar goods are. piled up into the niches 9, H], H, and 12, from the floor up the articles so piled may be pushed into the niches until the goods contacts with the angled subpanels 0, d, e, and f and are thus stabilized, as a pile, against accidental falling, and, at the same time display the goods in an attractive manner.

The inversion of the corners as above described, also creates another function, and that is, the inverted corners, when the stand is erected, form four interior legs and ledges at the point of the cuts l8, for receiving and supporting thereon a separate tray or flat form within the upper rectangular interior of the stand.

One such tray is shown, in perspective, in Fig. 7, and is shown as made up of a single blank,

scored and folded to a triangular or wedgeshaped form by panels 24, 25, and 26, to be inserted within the top section of the stand of Fig. l, to rest upon the four cut edges l8 and thus to inclinably support goods in a display condition, and for easy and convenient and self-service by the patron.

The upper edges of the stand of Fig. 1, may be so contoured as to form an inclined opening as in Fig. 3, which opening may be reinforced by turned and glued in flaps, 5, 6, l, and 8, Figs. 2 and 5, which are scored from the upper edges of panels, I, 2, 3, and 4 on score lines, such as a and b, Fig. 4. If the reinforcing flaps are sufficiently long they need only to be bent inwardly on their score lines ab, without gluing.

The alternate structure disclosed in Figs. 9 to 13, is in many respects similar to the structure of Figs. 1 to 6, in that it is made of a one piece blank, is joined by a gummed textile tape H, at its end panel edges to hold the blank in flat, and erectable form. 40

This latter structure, as in Fig. 9, is of polygonal cross section, instead of rectangular, as in Fig. 2, and as in Figs. 8, 10, and 11, the corners are also provided inverted sections Zc, Z, m, n, o, and p, Fig. 9. Each of the polygonal panels 29 to 34 inclusive, have a through out 4| traversing the corner scores, a short distance from the top of the stand, and spaced below said traversing cut is a second parallel traversing cut 42, at each corner. The cuts 4| and 42 terminate at vertical short score lines r upon which the sub-panels 70,

Z, m, n, o, and p are inverted, as in Fig. 13, and thus, the niches .35 to 48 inclusive, Fig. 9, are formed in the erection, out of the fiat of Figs. 11 and 12, of the polygonal stand of Figs 8 and i 10, by pushing in the said sub-panels.

The distance separating the cuts 4! and 42 may be suitably dimensioned to suit the overall size of the package to be placed in the niches, such as is shown by the canned goods C of Fig. 10, the bottoms of the cans in this instance resting upon the edges formed by the cuts 42 and the sub-panel walls. As thus described, the goods C are snugly held in attractive and firm display position between the upper and lower edges 4! and 42, respectively of the niches or apertures.

A separate filler or tray board 43, Fig. 10 may be inserted at the top of the stand to support further goods C, by resting upon the top edges of the inverted sub-panels and canned goods C in the niches.

The top edges of the stand of Fig. 9, may also have reinforcing flaps, such as 45, 46, and 41, foldable along a score line a, Fig. 11, as described for the stand of Fig. 1. A separate advertising display panel may also be provided, as shown at 44, Fig. 10.

It will be seen, from the foregoing disclosure that the inversion of the corners of the stands herein perform the several functions of (1) holding the displayed goods in (2) stable, attractive arrangement (3) for self-service, and at the same time (4) stiffen the stand in its erected position.

It will further be noted that the sub-panels c,d, e, and f of Fig. 1, and 7c, Z, m, n, o, and p of Fig. 9, are inverted and form a complementary, or similar angle to the corner angle from which they are inverted, as fully shown in Figs. 6 and 13.

In the Figs. 14-15 and 16, are shown a modified form of niche, which are made by cutting and scoring and inverting the niche forming indents exactly the same as described for Fig. 13.

However there is a slight diiference in the cutting and scoring of the niche forming walls in that, as in Fig. 14, when the cuts 4| are made they are not made all or fully across the top 01' the niches 35 to 40, but are made into two relatively short, straight cuts 41-41, Fig. 14, which are merged into circular cuts, which are joined to a substantially triangular cut thus defining two semi-circular lock-tabs :11 and y in each niche, the stock forming these lock-tabs being removed from the niche forming walls is, Z, m, n, and p.

In the display of rimmed or beaded cans, in the niches, it has been found necessary, due, in some instances, to the outer overhang of the can C, as shown in Fig. 16, and the force of gravity tending to tilt the can outwardly from the top, to lock the cans in display position and this is accomplished, as in Figs. 14, 15, and 16, and especially Figs. 15 and 16, by pushing up the bifurcated, semi-circular lock-tabs a: and y on their score lines u between the cuts 4 I-4I, so that the lock tabs will engage the top rim 2 of the can C and thus lock the can C in display position.

This locking arrangement is practically automatic upon inserting the can in the niche, and is easily operated for release of the can, when desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: r r

1. A display stand for cans of the class de-. scribed comprising a sheet of material having angularly disposed vertically upstanding folds forming a tubular body, said body having therein and extending across the lines of the folds pairs of short horizontal cuts so as to form subfolds, there being vertical fold lines connecting the opposite ends of the pairs of cuts, said subpanels being urged inwardly to form can receiving niches, the cans being rested at the inner vertical portions of their peripheries against the sub-panels, the top and bottom faces of the cans being substantially embraced by the panels at boundary faces of the cuts, and the major portions of said peripheries at the outer sides of the cans being projected beyond the planes of the adjacent panels.

2. A display device for cans comprising a tubular body including vertically disposed hingedly connected panels having therein adjacent their tops can-receiving niches; the material of the body being cut, scored and indented at the connection between the panels to form the niches, so that portions of the cans may be positioned beyond the planes of the panels, and a can-receiving platform supported by the indented portions of the material, the cans on the platform being partly disposed above said tops.

3. A display device constructed according to claim 2, wherein the tops of said panels are disposed on an inclined plane, and in which the platform consists of a single blank, said blank being scored and folded into three panels to provide a wedge-like member having its top face disposed parallel with said plane.

4. A display stand for cans comprising a tubular body of sheet material including vertically disposed coacting folds of polygonal cross section; said material having therein parallel top and under cuts which extend horizontally across the lines between the folds, and there being vertical fold lines connecting the opposed ends of each pair of the cuts whereby to form sub-folds, the latter being urged inwardly to provide can-receiving niches, the lower boundary edges of the under cuts forming supports for cans, said material having therein between the opposite ends of the top cuts horizontal fold lines, and pairs of inwardly turned lock tabs extending from the last mentioned lines, the members of the pairs of the tabs being on the opposite sides of the lines between the panels, said members having portions of their outlines. conforming with the shape of the top ends of the cans, whereby said tabs may lockingly engage said ends.

5. A display device for cans comprising in combination a stand including a body of paperboard of angular cross section, said body including coacting vertically disposed panels, there being fold lines between the panels; said panels having therein, near the tops thereof, and extending across the fold lines horizontal top and bottom cuts which form pairs, the ends of each pair of cuts being connected by vertical score line so as to form sub-panels, the latter being urged inwardly to provide openings for cans which form a group, the bottom of each can being adapted to be supported approximately at its medial portion on the topboundary edge of the bottom cut; and a platform fitting in said body and adapted to be supported on the inner portions of the cans, said platform being adapted to support another group of cans, the tops of the second group being higher than 'the tops of said panels.

6. A display stand for cans of the class described comprising a sheet member having vertical scored folds forming corners to the stand and main panels therebetween; one or more of the corner portions having upper and lower transverse cuts across the corner and vertical scores between and connecting the transverse cuts on both sides of the corner to form subpanels; said sub-panels being inwardly disposed to form a can-receiving niche; the can being rested in the niche on the panel edges at said lower cuts with the sides of the can prominently exposed.

HECTOR PRICE HUGHES. 

